KINGSTON, Jamaica – After the thrills of the Saturday card (Nov 27), it was a relatively quiet race day on Sunday, November 28, at the track.
Trainer Jason DaCosta emerged as the highlighter over the two days (Saturday and Sunday) saddling five winners (Uncle Frank, Super Duper, Tradition, Drummer Boy, and Sudden Flight).
These five winners along with his other horses earning, including Tekapunt finishing second in the Pick 3, allowed DaCosta to emerge as the leader in the trainers’ championship after last weekend racing.
On the jockeys’ side, reigning champion and also champion elect Anthony Thomas rode four winners, all for DaCosta, three on Saturday and one on Sunday. Thomas has now tallied 105 winners with his nearest pursuer being Dane Nelson, who has not been riding locally since August, with 58 winners. This will be Thomas’ third title in a relatively short career.
Interestingly, the track where Nelson rides in Canada is now closed for the winter break since the start of November, yet the ‘Warrior Chief’ has not returned home, which is normally his routine.
Riding in good nick these days is Robert Halledeen. Known as ‘Hardball’, Halledeen was on three winners over the weekend (JJ Warrior, Prosecco, and God of Love), and is now in seventh place in the championship with 32 wins.
Veteran Oneil Mullings demonstrated that he still has fire in whip when he rode two winners on Sunday. His first success came aboard the Ryan Darby trained Casual Affair at searing odds of 62-1; the longest odds winner on the Sunday card.
Mullings followed up in the next race on the Edward Stanberry trained Vice Cherry Pie.
God of Love trained by Fitzgerald Richards, after dropping down in class, duly obliged in the ninth race on Sunday. That was the five-year-old bay gelding’s (Adore The Gold – Shanda D) 11th career victory from 34 starts, which at any racetrack, in any racing jurisdiction is quite an achievement.
